CCMinutes - 07/26/04 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ms. Rich discussed commission capacity. She said there were approximately 50 volunteers who contributed almost 4,000 hours annually to the commission's programs. She commended staff's efforts to maintain capacity when the commission lost a position and recognized the significant contributions of former HRC Chair James Dean, who volunteered 40 or more hours a week on commission activities. She said that the work plan included a ;;wish list" of those issues that could not be addressed because of limited capacity. She thanked the council for the budget and staff the commission did receive and asked for their consideration of a request for additional support to increase the commission's ability to reach out to grassroots organizations in the community. HRC member Dwight Souers described the activities of the Accessibility Committee, which is composed of five HRC members and five volunteers from the community. He said the committee functions as a ;;watchdog" to ensure that residents, regardless of disabilities, have access to all facilities within the community. He said that committee members advised Lane Transit District on accessibility issues, served on the Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee, and worked with the City to ensure that new structures and modifications meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. He noted the recent installation of the first traffic signal for the visually impaired at Hilyard Street and 22nd Avenue and urged the council to expand the use of those signals. He said plans for the coming year included continuing with the Barrier Awareness Award for people and organizations in the community that paid special attention to accessibility. He thanked the city manager for hosting a very successful round table discussion with representatives from the disability community. A great deal of positive feedback was received and the committee planned to continue the event. Ms. Ortiz directed the council's attention to pages 21 through 24 of the annual report and the case statistics from the Human Rights Support System. She explained that the support system was part of the City's complaint process and volunteers provided advocacy and empowerment to people who had experienced discrimination and harassment. She said the program, in its l0th year, was preparing to add support for victims of domestic violence and would be working with Eugene School District 4J on its complaint process. She said the program was also looking at ways to assist the Police Commission and Police Department in their review of police complaint procedures. She praised the efforts of volunteers, staff, and the commission to make the most efficient possible use of program funds. Referring to stretched budget dollars, Ms. Rich displayed a new brochure that combined information from four separate documents in an informative, easy-to-read, and easily updated format. She said that the commission's presentation was concluded and asked for comments. Mr. Kelly stated that he had been the council's representative on the HRC for the past year and a half and it had been a privilege and pleasure to work with the commission and be part of its valuable service to the people of Eugene. He commended the commission and volunteers for their commitment and passion. Ms. Bettman expressed her appreciation to the commission and volunteers for their work and commitment to human rights. She acknowledged the thoroughness of the commission's report and asked what the City as an organization did best with respect to human rights and where it could improve, as well as what the community did best and how could it improve. Ms. Rich responded that what the City did best was open doors and build bridges by reaching out to the community. She commented that the commission was well supported by the council, staff, and MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 26, 2004 Page 4 Work Session